Chapter 9

Ding-a-ling—

Aria Bennett had just finished her yoga session when her phone rang abruptly.

The caller ID showed Marcus Sterling.

"Hello, Mr. Sterling," she said, wiping the light sweat from her forehead.

"Aria, can you come to the office now?" Marcus's voice was gentle yet firm.

Aria arched an eyebrow. "Of course. I'll be there in half an hour."

After hanging up, she quickly showered and changed into a simple yet elegant white dress.

Aurora Entertainment Headquarters.

The elevator took her straight to the top-floor executive office.

When she pushed the door open, Aria paused slightly.

Marcus sat across from a refined middle-aged man, who was leisurely sipping tea.

"You're here?" Marcus smiled and gestured. "Have a seat."

Aria sat down gracefully, her gaze subtly assessing the unfamiliar man.

"Let me introduce you," Marcus said, nodding toward the man beside him. "Adrian Foster. He'll be your new agent from now on."

Aria's heart skipped a beat.

Adrian Foster? Aurora's top-tier agent?

In her past life, this legend had been notorious for his sharp eye—anyone he managed skyrocketed to fame. After the actor he last represented retired, he hadn't taken on any new talents.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Foster," she said, suppressing her surprise as she extended her hand politely.

Adrian looked up, his piercing eyes studying her. "Hello."

He set down his teacup, his tone neutral. "Damian Cross's recommendation. I hope you won't disappoint."

Aria's pupils contracted slightly.

Damian Cross? The award-winning actor Damian Cross?

Since when had she gotten involved with someone like him?

"Don't worry, Mr. Foster," she replied smoothly, adjusting her expression. "I won't let you down."

A flicker of approval crossed Adrian's eyes.

Smart. Quick on the uptake.

"How do you plan to handle the trending scandal?" he cut straight to the point.

Aria was prepared. She pulled out her phone, typed out a draft, and handed it to him. "What do you think?"

Adrian skimmed it, then smirked. "Interesting."

The post was concise and bold:

[@AriaBennettV: Not taking the blame for this. Legal notices have been sent—rumormongers, tread carefully. PS: My figure’s way better than this. [Photo][Photo]]

The attached images were a stark contrast: one was the blurry backshot from the scandal, the other was her recent gym photo.

"Not afraid of backlash?" Adrian asked, intrigued.

Aria chuckled. "I'll get hate either way. Might as well make it satisfying."

"Good." Adrian suddenly stood and extended his hand. "Pleasure working with you."

Aria beamed. "Pleasure's mine!"

She immediately changed her account password and hit Post.

On-Set Lounge.

Nolan Reed had just removed his makeup when his assistant rushed in. "Nolan, we have a problem!"

"What now?" he snapped impatiently.

The assistant handed him a phone. "Ms. Bennett just posted..."

Nolan's expression darkened as he read.

The photo clearly showed him and Serena Blake from the paparazzi shot, while Aria's caption was a direct slap in the face.

He immediately dialed Aria's number.

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable—"

Three tries. Same automated response.

Nolan clenched his phone, knuckles whitening.

"Use your phone," he ordered his assistant.

The assistant complied, then hesitantly passed it over. "It's ringing..."

"Aria!" Nolan snatched the phone. "What the hell is this?"

A beat of silence. Then Aria's cool voice replied, "Who is this?"

Nolan froze. "Stop playing dumb!"

"Oh, Nolan," she said distantly. "What do you want?"

"Delete that post. Now."

Aria laughed lightly. "Why should I?"

"You—"

"Actually," she cut in, "I should inform you. I have a new agent now. For work matters, contact Adrian Foster directly."

"What? Adrian Foster?" Nolan's voice rose in disbelief. "Are you insane? Do you even know who he is?"

"Of course I do," Aria said breezily. "That's why I'm thrilled."

"Aria!" Nolan's chest heaved. "What are you trying to pull?"

The sound of rustling papers came through—she was clearly preoccupied.

"If that's all, I'm hanging up," she said dismissively. "Oh, and don’t bother calling from different numbers. I’ll block every single one."

"You wouldn’t dare!" Nolan roared.

Beep—beep—

Only the dial tone answered him.

Nolan stood motionless, his phone slipping from his grip.

For the first time, it hit him—Aria was serious.

She really… didn’t want him anymore.